Process of manufacture of threads of textile material



1935- J. E. c. BONGRAND ET AL 1,986,319

PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF THREADS 0F TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed April 111930 2 Sheets-Sheet l Jam 1935- J. E. c. BONGRAND El AL 1,986,319

PRQCESS OF MANUFACTURE OF THREADS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed April 11,1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Jan. 1, 1935 PATENT OFFICE PROCESS OFMANUFACTURE OF'THBEADS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Jean Etienne CharlesBongrand, Paris, and Lon Sylvain Max Lejeune, Wasquehal, FranceApplication April 11, 1930, Serial No. 443,471

In France November 8, 1929 4 Claims.

The present invention has for its object an improved process formanufacture of threads of textile material resulting in threads in whichevery textile fiber of the thread is entirely enveloped and in partpenetrated, as well at the center of the thread as at the peripherythereof, by a cellu-'- lose compound such as cellulose ester, fatty acidcellulose ester or viscose.

It has already been proposed to impregnate textile threads with, or toapply thereto, a, solution of a cellulose compound; but the meansproposed have not been suflicient to impregnate right through the coreof the thread and to envelop or penetrate the individual fibers thereofBy means of this invention, a penetration right through the core of thethread or yarn is accom-,- plished and the process consists insubjecting the textile material or roving, before twisting or cording,in contact with the treating cellulose compound; the percentage of thetreating material to be absorbedv by the textile material depending uponthe time during which the contact is efiected and upon the pressureexerted on the bath. The degree and duration of pressure required toeffect the complete impregnation of the thread and the entiresurrounding of the elementary fibers vary according to the character ofthe textile material a and other variable conditions, but are readilydetermined by trial in respect to each particular mass of textilematerial.

According to one form of the present invention,

the impregnation, i. e. penetration of the impregnating liquid throughthe core of the textile material and surrounding all individual fibers,is real- -ized by-causing a contact between the textile material andsaid impregnating material to take place under gaseous pressure, forinstance in a gas tight container provided withvacuum and compressed gaspipes and suitable cocks.

According to a modification, the impregnation of textile material with acellulose compound is efi'ected by one or several passages of thetextile material-(roving, yarn, twisted or corded thread) at a suitablespeed through a vat containing a solution of impregnating cellulosecompound, whereupon the impregnated textile material is freed from theexcess of solution and dried, and thereafter, if desired, smoothed.

As cellulose compounds, we employ cellulose ester, fatty acid of thecellulose ester or viscose, l. e. a compound of the cellulose obtainedby treating cellulose with potassium (see definition of viscose given bythe Ingos Chemical Dictionary of Hackh-Blackston) In the threadsobtained according to our invention, the elementary fibers are connectedto their neighbours by the cellulose compound which forms between theman elastic bond. This bond between the fibers and the cellulose compoundhas remarkable mechanical properties, such that, for one and the samequality of fibers, a smaller twist gives the same strength, and thatwith the same or even a smaller twist, shorter fibers may be used. Thelayer of cellulose compound which covers the thread may be in such astate that it' makes its 10 surface perfectly smoothand evenly glazedand' imparts. rigidity thereto. The threads possess a high mechanicalresistance and keep their elasticity; this being not the case with theordinary glazing processes.

Even in the case of twisted or stranded threads, the core of the threadis deeply impregnated and the elementary fibers according to theinvention are entirely surrounded. In such threads, the complete coatingby the cellulose compound of each of the elements isolates each of thesaid elements from the others, which is a great advantage for certainapplications.

The threads according to the invention differ from the known threads bythe fact of their complete impregnation and by the nature of theimpregnating and covering material, from threads finished on the surfaceby means of colloidal materials such asv gelatine, casein, etc.,polymerized or oxidized oils, artificial resins already formed or in thecourse of polymerization. They differ also for the same reasons fromcotton threads covered merely on. the outside with viscose. In thethreads according to the invention, the cellulose compound is sodistributed in the direction of depth as to reach in the most completemanner possible all the elementary fibers which constitute the unitthread and to envelop them.

In the case of several successive treatments, the nature and theconcentration of the impregnating substance may vary from one treatmentto another. The first impregnation or impregnations must be penetrating,so as to reach the periphery of every fiber, while the othersfollowinghave for their object to cause the disappearance of the surface down orfluff, to make the thread stiffer and then to give it polish. Thesolvent of cellulose compound must not be too volatile, so as to enablethe hanks and. the bobbins to be unwound while polishing the thread andthe thread to be subsequently dried.

The accompanying drawings show diagrammatically by way of example twoconstructions of apparatus suitable for carrying out the presforreceiving the textile material to be treated and by another container bfor the impregnating liquid; 1' is a filling vat and'h a cock. Thetextile material is preferably placed on bobbins d with flexible andperforated spindles e affording passage to the liquid. The said bobbinsare threaded on a perforated tube 1 and held close together by aclamping device such as g. If the textile material is in hanks, thesehanks are placed in packets and arranged round the central tube f.

The containers at and b are connected by the pipe is and cocky on theone hand and by the pipe 4: and cock 1. on the other hand.

In the container b opens a compressed gas pipe 1 which may be closed bythe cock s and the same pipe opens into the container a through the pipe1' and the cock q. A vacuum pipe 0 opens into the container b (cock u)and into the container a (cock 1)) the vacuum being used foraccelerating the circulation of the liquid.

The operation is as follows:

The apparatus being first completely empty, the bobbins d are placed inthe container a; the latter is closed by a number of tightening screws 0and all the cocks are then closed; the container b is filled, throughthe intermediary of the filling vat 2', with the impregnatingdispersion, the cooks h and '2) (air escape) being opened; when thecontainer b is filled, the cocks h and v are closed and the cock 1)opened so that a certain vacuum is created in the container 11. Thecocks n and 9' are then opened to cause the passage of the liquid from bto a, and at the same time the compressed gas cock 8 is opened; when theliquid has reached a determined level the cock n is closed.

The textile material is now in contact with the.

impregnating material under a determined pressure of the compressed gas(nitrogen for instance). After a suitable time of contact the cocks sand j are closed and the cock 1; opened for the air escape. When thepressure has fallen to zero in the container b the cock u is opened tocreate a certain vacuum in the said container, and then the cock t isopened to allow the liquid which is in a to return into b. On the otherhand the cock q is opened in order to accelerate, by pressure, the backflow of the liquid from a to b.

The operations as described may be repeated several times vif desired.The percentage of the impregnating liquid absorbed by the textilematerial depends upon the time of the contact under pressure and uponthe degree of'the pressure. The bobbins are then dried, preferably invacuum, in order to hasten the drying and to enable the work to be doneat higher temperatures.

In the modified construction of the apparatus shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4,the thread 1 to be impregnated coming from a bobbin 2, passes first ofall between the bristles 3 of a brush 4 secured to a support 5, thenbetween the bristles 6 of a brush 7 secured to a movable coverprovidedwith a support 8 and a joint 9. The thread passes finally through thebristles 10 of a brush 11 also secured to the support 5, and between thebristles 12 of a brush 13 before being wound on the reel 14. The support5 contains a vat 15 provided with a recess 16 in which is placed thesolution or dispersion or suspension of cellulose compound intended toimpregnate the thread. The cover 8 is mounted on the support 5 by meansof a hinge 1'7 and may be held against the said sup port by means of aclosing device' 18. Between the brush 10 and the brush 12, the threadpasses through an eyelet 19 having a reciprocating movement.

The cover 8 having been raised and the vat l5 filled with a solution orsuspension or a dispersion of cellulose compound 16, the thread isunwound from the bobbin 2 and caused to pass through the bristles 3, 10and .12 of the brushes 4, 11 and 13, and is secured to the reel 14. Thecover 8 is then turned down and locked by means of the device 18, theresult of which is to cause the thread to engage the bristles 6 of brush'7 and to immerse the thread into the vat 15. The reel is then started,and the thread is unwound from the bobbin 2, passing successivelythrough the brushes 4, 6, 11 and 13. It is thus impregnated with thecellulose compound suspension or solution, the excess of which isremoved and regulated by the brush 13, by means of the bristles 12,

against which the thread rubs, not only longitudinally owing to itstravel, but also transversely the thread being submitted to severalimmersions during a single passage, each passage being followed by adrying. If'the strength does not permit this, the thread may be causedto pass successively several times through the same vat.

The thread when completely unwound is freed from the liquid of cellulosecompound suspension, dispersion or solution and is eventually polishedby any desired well known means.

In any case, the impregnation liquid may be constituted by a solution ofcellulose ester either in a volatile solvent or used in the form of anaqueous dispersion.

Impregnation by means of the impregnating apparatus (process shown inFig. 1) may be completed by an impregnation during the unwinding of thethread (in the case of Figs. 2 to 4) for the purpose of smoothing orpolishing the surface of the thread.

Impregnation on bobbins is preferable to impregn'ation in hanks, as theresistance opposed to the passage of the liquid assists penetration (ofthe liquid) down to the core of the thread.

The fibers impregnated with cellulose compound in the manner describedmay be then combined to form twisted threads either before or after thedrying by the ordinary spinning processes. These twisted threads aresubsequently stranded or corded if necessary, either before or after thedrying and coagulation.

What we claim is:

1. A process for the impregnation of textile material with a dispersionof a cellulose compound consisting in placing the textile material inthe condition of roving on bobbins in an air-tight container in contactwith the said dispersion under the pressure of a gas, then unwinding theimpregnated roving through a bath of said dispersion, removing theexcess of the impregnating miflai, drying the thread and imparting to itan'additional smoothing.

2. A process for the impregnation of textile material with viscoseconsisting in placing the textile material in "the condition ofroving onbobbins in an air-tight container in contact with the said viscose underthe pressure 01 agas, then unwinding the impregnated, roving through abath of a cellulose compound, removing the excess of the impregnatingmaterial, drying the thread and imparting to it an additional smoothins.

3. A process for the treatment of textile material witha dispersionof acellulose compound, consisting in placing the textile material in thecondition of roving on bobbins in an air-tight container in contact withsaid dispersion under under the pressure a vacuum on the said viscosethe pressure of a gas, exerting successively a vacuum on the saiddispersion and a pressure by a gas onto the said dispersion, thenunwinding the impregnated thread and imparting to it an additionalsmoothing.

v4. A process for the treatment of textile material with viscose,consisting in placing the textile material in the condition of roving onbobbins in an air-tight container in contact with said viscose of a gas,exerting successively and a pressure by a gas onto the said viscose,then unwinding the impregnated textile material, drying the thread andimparting to it an additional smoothing.

JEAN ETIENNE CHARLES BONGRAND.

mLoN SYLVAIN MAX LEJEUNE.

textile material, drying the

